Skateboarding has become a well known and extremely popular sport and recreation activity. With the rise of skateboard popularity, practitioners of the toy arts have been prompted to respond by providing various types of toy skateboards. In addition, further developments in skateboard technology has led to power driven variations of skateboards. Here again, practitioners of the toy arts have responded to skateboard technology and popularity by providing toy skateboards which mimic more newly developed power driven skateboards. For example, British patent 2,186,501 issued to Berenguer et al. sets forth a TOY COMPRISING A DOLL AND SKATEBOARD in which a skateboard supporting a riding doll is provided with a radio control unit and an appropriate propulsion device. The doll rides upon the skateboard by utilizing a plurality of fittings and anchoring devices which cooperate between the upper surface of the skateboard and the doll.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,752 issued to Combs sets forth a REMOTE CONTROLLED ROLLER SKATING TOY having a female figure supporting an internal power source and a remote control signal receiving device. The doll is supported by a pair of roller skates which are driven by independent power sources under the control of the remote control receiver. By varying the power applied to each of the dolls roller skates, the direction of travel of the doll may be guided.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,143,728 issued to Shiber sets forth a MOTORIZED SKATEBOARD having a drive axle with a drive wheel coupled to a prime mover and an idler wheel wherein the drive wheel is made to support more weight than the idler wheel in order to improve traction of the skateboard.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,372 issued to Notter sets forth a MOTORIZED SKATEBOARD WITH UNI-DIRECTIONAL REAR MOUNTING having a skateboard with supporting front wheels and power driven rear wheels. An internal combustion engine is supported upon the rear of the skateboard and is operatively coupled to the rear wheels by a chain drive mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,073,356 issued to Schlicht sets forth a MOTORIZED SKATEBOARD having an elongated planar board supported by pairs of front and rear wheels. A pair of driven wheels is supported at the approximate center of the board and is operative in combination with an internal combustion engine coupled to the drive wheels.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,026 issued to Hsu et al. sets forth a REMOTE CONTROLLED ELECTRIC SKATEBOARD having an elongated generally planar board supported by a pair of front wheels and a pair of rear wheels. An electric motor is operatively coupled to the front wheels and is driven by an electric power source supported by the skateboard just behind the power driven front wheels.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,374,548 issued to Ueno et al. sets forth a PLAYING VEHICLE WITH A PRIME MOVER having an elongated chassis supporting a seated driver and a pair of control levers. A pair of front wheels supports the front end of the vehicle and a pair of power driven rear wheels is supported at the rear portion of the vehicle. Power is provided by a small internal combustion engine positioned over the rear wheels.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,621 issued to Martin sets forth an ELECTRIC MOTOR POWERED SKATEBOARD WITH INTEGRAL BRAKES having an elongated board supporting by front and rear wheel pairs. An electric motor powers the front wheels which further support a set of operable brakes. The brakes are coupled to an elongated control cable which in turn is coupled to a hand grip held by the user riding upon the skateboard.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,719 issued to Goodspeed sets forth a SKATEBOARD having an elongated board supported by front and rear wheels. The board further supports a pivotal pedal which is movable as the user places weight upon the pedal to couple mechanical power to the rear wheels of the skateboard.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,480,401 issued to Matsushiro sets forth a RADIO CONTROLLED CAR while U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,101 also issued to Matsushiro sets forth a RADIO CONTROLLED TOY CAR and U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,296 issued to Chow sets forth a TOY VEHICLE WITH CHANGEABLE APPEARANCE AS FUNCTION OF DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT all of which patents set forth typical remote controlled toy vehicles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,834 issued to Lin sets forth REMOTE RADIO CONTROLLED INFLATABLE TOYS having inflated bodies which are supported by power driven wheels on the bottom surfaces thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,199,249 issued to Carver et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 1,439,592 issued to Wheeldon set forth early examples of toy figures riding upon a transport platform supported by a plurality of rolling wheels.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,427,333 issued to Loewenstern, Jr. sets forth a REMOTE CONTROLLED WHEELED GOLF CLUB CARRIER having an otherwise conventional cart adapted to receive and carry sets of golf clubs which is powered by an electric motor and which is guided by a remote control unit.
While the foregoing described prior art devices have to some extent improved the art and in some instances enjoyed commercial success, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for a more realistic and interesting remotely controlled skateboard and doll riding thereon.